Near-synchronous calling in the hip-pocket frog <i>Assa darlingtoni</i>

Clulow, Simon; Mahony, Michael; Elliott, Lang; Humfeld, Sarah C.; Gerhardt, H. Carl

doi:10.1080/09524622.2016.1260054

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Finally, there is a gap in our knowledge of the natural history of species that vary in their mating signal timing strategies. Synchronized signalling is assumed to be uncommon in anurans, having only been reported in a handful of species in addition to B. japonica (Assa darlingtoni [78], Cochranella granulosa [79], D. ebraccatus [76], Diasporus diastema [80], H. arenicolor [12], K. fusca [22], K. kuvangensis [81], K. senegalensis [82], S. sila [21]). However, for anurans, timing of signal production is often not reported with other standard call features, such as signal duration and dominant frequency (e.g.…”

Section: (D) Limitations and Future Research Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The dual benefits of synchronized mating signals in a Japanese treefrog: attracting mates and manipulating predators

Legett

Aihara

Bernal

2021

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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In dense mating aggregations, such as leks and choruses, acoustic signals produced by competing male conspecifics often overlap in time. When signals overlap at a fine temporal scale the ability of females to discriminate between individual signals is reduced. Yet, despite this cost, males of some species deliberately overlap their signals with those of conspecifics, synchronizing signal production in the chorus. Here, we investigate two hypotheses of synchronized mating signals in a Japanese treefrog ( Buergeria japonica ): (1) increased female attraction to the chorus (the beacon effect hypothesis) and (2) reduced attraction of eavesdropping predators (the eavesdropper avoidance hypothesis). Our results from playback experiments on female frogs and eavesdropping micropredators (midges and mosquitoes) support both hypotheses. Signal transmission and female phonotaxis experiments suggest that away from the chorus, synchronized calls are more attractive to females than unsynchronized calls. At the chorus, however, eavesdroppers are less attracted to calls that closely follow an initial call, while female attraction to individual signals is not affected. Therefore, synchronized signalling likely benefits male B. japonica by both increasing attraction of females to the chorus and reducing eavesdropper attacks. These findings highlight how multiple selective pressures likely promoted the evolution and maintenance of this behaviour. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Synchrony and rhythm interaction: from the brain to behavioural ecology’.

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Section: (D) Limitations and Future Research Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The dual benefits of synchronized mating signals in a Japanese treefrog: attracting mates and manipulating predators

Legett

Aihara

Bernal

2021

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…Finally, while synchronization is rare in frogs and toads, having only been identified in a handful of anuran species in addition to pug-nosed tree frogs (Kassina senegalensis [67], D. ebraccatus [62], Cochranella granulose [68], K. fusca [63], Kassina kuvangensis [69], Hyla arenicolor (V.T. Marshall and H.C. Gerhardt 2002, unpublished data, reviewed in [17]), Assa darlingtoni [70], Diasporus diastema [71]), this signal timing strategy has been observed across diverse taxonomic groups. Synchronization is a common strategy for many insects, such as crickets and katydids, that form large nocturnal choruses that share many similarities to anuran choruses [72][73][74][75][76][77][78].…”

Section: (C) Other Functions Of Signal Synchronization In Anurans and Other Taxamentioning

confidence: 99%

Synchronized mating signals in a communication network: the challenge of avoiding predators while attracting mates

2019

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Conspicuous mating signals attract mates but also expose signallers to predators and parasites. Signal evolution, therefore, is driven by conflicting selective pressures from multiple receivers, both target and non-target. Synchronization of mating signals, for example, is an evolutionary puzzle, given the assumed high cost of reduced female attraction when signals overlap. Synchronization may be beneficial, however, if overlapping signals reduce attraction of non-target receivers. We investigate how signal synchronization is shaped by the trade-off between natural and sexual selection in two anuran species: pug-nosed tree frogs ( Smilisca sila ), in which males produce mating calls in near-perfect synchrony, and túngara frogs ( Engystomops pustulosus ), in which males alternate their calls. To examine the trade-off imposed by signal synchronization, we conducted field and laboratory playback experiments on eavesdropping enemies (bats and midges) and target receivers (female frogs). Our results suggest that, while synchronization can be a general strategy for signallers to reduce their exposure to eavesdroppers, relaxed selection by females for unsynchronized calls is key to the evolution and maintenance of signal synchrony. This study highlights the role of relaxed selection in our understanding of the origin of mating signals and displays.

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“…Within ecosystems they have been described for many individual biotic components including mammals, birds (e.g., Elemans et al, 2015), amphibians (e.g. Clulow, Mahony, Elliott, Humfeld, & Gerhardt, 2017), invertebrates (e.g., Sweger & Uetz, 2016), reptiles (e.g., Young, 2003), and fish (e.g., Rountree & Juanes, 2018). Despite this broad range of soundscape description, there have been few attempts to summarize soundscape complexity across space and time and thereby provide further insights into aspects of ecosystem function.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Singing streams: Describing freshwater soundscapes with the help of acoustic indices

Decker

Parker

Linke

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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Understanding soundscapes, that is, the totality of sounds within a location, helps to assess nature in a more holistic way, providing a novel approach to investigating ecosystems. To date, very few studies have investigated freshwater soundscapes in their entirety and none across a broad spatial scale. In this study, we recorded 12 freshwater streams in South East Queensland continuously for three days and calculated three acoustic indices for each minute in each stream. We then used principal component analysis of summary statistics for all three acoustic indices to investigate acoustic properties of each stream and spatial variation in their soundscapes. All streams had a unique soundscape with most exhibiting diurnal variation in acoustic patterns. Across these sites, we identified five distinct groups with similar acoustic characteristics. We found that we could use summary statistics of AIs to describe daytimes across streams as well. Most difference in stream soundscapes was observed during the daytime with significant variation in soundscapes both between hours and among sites. Synthesis and Application. We demonstrate how to characterize stream soundscapes by using simple summary statistics of complex acoustic indices. This technique allows simple and rapid investigation of streams with similar acoustic properties and the capacity to characterize them in a holistic and universal way. While we developed this technique for freshwater streams, it is also applicable to terrestrial and marine soundscapes.

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Near-synchronous calling in the hip-pocket frog Assa darlingtoni

Cited by 7 publications

References 14 publications

The dual benefits of synchronized mating signals in a Japanese treefrog: attracting mates and manipulating predators

The dual benefits of synchronized mating signals in a Japanese treefrog: attracting mates and manipulating predators

Synchronized mating signals in a communication network: the challenge of avoiding predators while attracting mates

Singing streams: Describing freshwater soundscapes with the help of acoustic indices

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